Feeding apparatus



V. C. DUGAN FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 16

Aug 7, 1951 INVENTOR Wh Ce/YZ C. Papa/7 B 14k vam fig 5.

ATTO RN EYS GROUND Lil [Z Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEEDING APPARATUS Vincent C. Dugan, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application January 16, 1948, Serial No. 2,611

4 Claims.

This invention relates to animal husbandry,

and more particularly to an improved method and means for feeding animal flocks, as in the case of poultry and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved flock feeding mechanism whereby at preselected times a predetermined quantity of feed is automatically distributed in improved manner for flock consumption.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for the purposes aforesaid whereby to obtain improved sureness and emciency of operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a mechanism of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along line II--II of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detail of the mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on an enlarged scale through a feed conveying portion of the mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, showing a modified form of the feed conveyor device; and

Fig. 6 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken along line VI--VI of Fig. 5. i

The drawing illustrates the invention as being embodied in a mechanism especially designed for poultry flock feeding purposes, but it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to mechanisms for feeding other farm animals, particularly wherever it is desirable to simultaneously distribute'feed to a plurality of feeding stations so as to avoid dangerous crowding of the feeding animals. Thus, the mechanism of the invention is illustrated in the drawing to comprise a feed hopper 10 which is preferably mounted interiorly of a farm building structure such as indicated at I2, for weather protection purposes. The bottom of the hopper I0 is arranged in communication'with a feed delivery conduit [4 which extends through the building Wall 12 and thence outwardly over the feeding range; the conduit [4 being supported at suitable intervals soas to be maintained at a slight elevation above the ground level of the feeding range which is indicated at l5 (Fig. 1). At'suitable intervals lengthwise of th conduit l4 it is apertured as indicated at 16 (Fig. 4) through the bottom wall portion thereof soas to permit feed to be gravity-discharged therethrough as i d cated at 20 in Fig. 1. The feed may be permitted to fall from the conduit directly onto the ground, or preferably one or more suitable feeding troughs may be set to catch the falling feed as indicated at 22, whereby to avoid contamination of the feed with ground debris; The volumeof feed to be piled under any one of the feeding stations may be regulated by adjusting the vertical distance between the bottom of the feed trough 22 and the conduit 14.

An'endless drag conveyor device is arranged to slide through the conduit l4 for conveying feed progressively tothe series of apertures I6. For example, as illustrated in Figs. 1-4, the conveyor may be of simple detachable link type chain such as is widely employed for driving farm machinery and the like; the chain being designated 24 in Fig. 1 and illustrated in Figs. 3-4 to'comprise links 26 interconnected by malleable metal clips 28. The chain 24 is carried by sprockets 30-32 at opposite ends thereof, and the return strand of the chain is'illustrated as being enclosed within a return conduit 34. Conveniently, the sprockets 3ll-32 are journaled upon bearings supported at ground level while the return conduit 34 is disposed within a trench 36 leading back to the building wall [2. Thus, the sprocket 32 is conveniently enclosed within a top cover and boot shell 38 (Fig. 1) which is adapted to catch any excess of feed carried by the top strand of the conveyor and not discharged through the conduit apertures i6. "Thus, such excess feed will simply pour out of the end of the conduit [4 as is indicated at 40 in Fig. 1, and will thereupon fall into the bottom of the boot 38 to be reentrained with the bottom strand of the conveyor chain and dragged thereby through the return conduit and delivered intothe boot 42 of a bucket elevator 44 which is arranged to discharge the excess feed back into the hopper l0.

As shown in Figs. 1-2 the chain sprocket 3 0 is mounted upon ashaft which connects to an electric motor 52, and an endless belt 54 which is driven by the shaft 5ll is arranged to drive the elevator pulley shaft56. Thus, upon operation of the motor 52 the feed conveyor and elevator mechanisms will be simultaneously driven in the directions indicated by the arrows in the drawing, thereby pulling the feed out of the hopper In for discharge through the feed distributing apertures l6; while any excess feed not accepted by the apertures IE will be discharged from the open end of the conduit l4 and then picked up again by the lower strand of the chain 24 andthence 3 delivered to the elevator 44 and returned to the hopper [0.

Thus, it will be appreciated that if in connection with any operation of the motor 52 one or more of the piles of feed under the apertures 16 does not need. replenishment, there will nevertheless be no jamming of the parts or interference with the operation of the mechanism which will continue to. run to insure maintenance of an evenly; distributed supply or feed at all of.;the feed stations under the apertures I6. Thus, this mechanism lends itself particularly to fully au-. tomatic control such as by a clock mechanism set' I or rope 64 or the like, carrying flights or washers to close the motor control switch at giventimes;

so that the only manual attention requiredlisin connection with keeping the hopper 10 supplied" with feed. For example, thBEOOntiDliOlOCk may be set to start feeding at any specified .hourand. a circuit opening switch which is responsible-to the weight of the feed within the hopper may be arranged so as'to shut-10ft the motor after a predetermined quantity :of feed has *;been" dispensed.

Or; the control clock mechanism may 'be'sset to permit feeding? for a predetermined". length of time; whichevermayxbepreferred; but assexplained hereinaboveximany-case=the nature of the feeding apparatus is :suchrassitorenable it :to

be fully automatically: controlled :without: possibility .of j amm'ingsor damage .to :any of the parts irrespective of the rate atzwhiclrthe: feeding animals: eat 2 away: the feed at .the .1 several: feed stations: Also, for example,-ceventhouglrthe animals .at some; of: the feed zstations maya scratch 'awaylandscatter the feed issuing "thereto-kit much faster rate than t: the? animalsz at some.- of: the other: stations; the. feed :will; nevertheless con; tinue? torbe; substantially uniformly distributed among-the. several feeding? stations because. the rates of 'fee'd': flow. attthe stations areecontrolled b' y;the sizesof the orifices 16'. Therefore, it is'a particular featureandfadvantage of the invention thatvthe mechanism is ;adapted:.to operate withontuanyi attention except: to: see 'thata-supp1yz of feed ismaintainedrin the hopperr-I 0', whereby the poultry, farmer employing. the machinezof; the inventionis assured of perfect feeding opera.- tiQHS'iWitll-ffi minimum oi -required labor and attention. I I

'I o.,-facilita.tefree discharge- 0f: the feed material from .the hopper lfl into. the;.feed-in econdnita l .any suitable %form offeed agitating; device :maybeemployed,- if required. However,- as illustrated in Fig. 1, .an improved-form of feed agitator-for; this-.purp0se is illustrated to comprisea strip-51-formed* of. spring steelor the like, which." is pivotally-suspendedby means of aipivotpin 58-extending transversely from the side, walls of the hopper. The-strip .51. is so mounted. -upon.the .piniB. that the .lower endof the strip 5! will interferewith the topmost portions of the drag conveyor. elements while the upper end of the strip 51 .slipgfits through a suitable apertured portion 59 of the top cover plate of the hopper structure; Thus; as the conveyor moves'through'the conduit lithe lower end' of the strip 5'! is intermittently caught'by upwardly projecting; portions of the conveyor chain' and momentarily dragged thereby; soas to deflect the spring strip 51 until the lower'end'of the spring strip'slides over'the chain projection and permits the= strip'tosnap'b'ack into'its normal shape. Consequently, during operation'of the drag conveyor-the spring strip BTis' maintained in astate of agitation; and this motion is transmitted 1 to the-supply offeed within'the -hopper '18 so asPto I at "68; inarmanner similar to the aperturing of the conduit l4 illustrated in Fig. 4. Or, the con- 66 at intervals therealong. It will be understood jthatithe'econduit 62 will be suitably apertured at the...desired.feeding station points as indicated duit may be arranged to climb over obstacles or to'sink-under floor surfaces or the like during portions of the conveyor travel; and thus it will betappreeiated1that :the conduit l 62 may :be arranged to: twist :orrturn in'anyydesired :direction between'itsi-inlet .andioutlet'iends; ,as may be adietated by any specific installation problems.

'licl'aimz: a 1. .A flock feeding ;mechanism for; distributing feedesuppliess to: spaced.- feeding 5 range stations, said'mechanism' comprisingarfeed.hopper, a-conduit leading fromsaid hopperat' an' elevation abovepthez feeding range," said'conduit having feed openings through a wall portion thereofr at intervals lengthwise: of. the conduit, an endless strand partially enclosed .withinvsaid conduit zand ;extending;at;opposite. ends therebeyondgi .a'lfirsti sprocket rotatively; mounted ,ad'j a.- cent one end of said conduit,;,a.secondsprocket rotativelymounted adjacent the; other; end: of said conduit, a returnzconduitiin.alignment betweenxsaid.sprockets;v said-endless strand extending through said conduits and trainedaround said; sprockets. to. provider. a travelling; endless strand drag conveyor system within each 'ofisaid conduits aabucket elevator. arranged .to; receive conveyor discharge. from said u'eturn :conduit and to deliver the latter into said'hopper, whereby upon operation of.:said conveyor-and said elevatormechanism feed will 1 be dragged .fromsaid hopper and gravity-discharged through said openings; andlwherebyieed within said conveyor not received by said openings wilLbe discharged from saidconveyor into. said return conduit and therebygdelivered to said elevator. and returned tosaid hopper.

2.-.A-.flock :feedin mechanism .for. distributing feed, supplies. to. spaced. feeding range stations, said a mechanism comprising a. feed hopper, a feeding conduit leading fronrsaid .hopper at .an elevatiomabove :the feeding range, said .conduit having .feed discharging openings through awall portion thereof at-zintervalslengthwise of the conduitan endless dragconveyor sliding through said :.conduit :and' extending. at its: opposite ends therebeyond, a first sprocket. rotatively mounted adjacent one endot. said. conduit, a second sprocket :rotatively I mounted adjacent the other eu'd-iofsaid conduit; 21,, return conduit in' alignment.betweensaidrsprockets, said endless conveyor. extending through .both 10f said conduits and around said sprockets to provide-a dragconveyorrsystem; within each of: said; conduits, a bucketaelevatonarranged toxreceive conveyordischargeirom said'return conduit and. to deliver the latter into said hopper, whereby upon' op eration of said conveyor and'said'ielevator mechanismfeed will'be draggedfrom; said. hopper veyor sliding through said conduit and extending at its opposite ends therebeyond, a first sprocket rotatively mounted adjacent one end of said conduit, a second sprocket rotatively mounted adjacent the other end of said conduit, a return conduit in alignment between said sprockets, said endless conveyor extendin through both of said conduits and around said sprockets to provide a drag conveyor system within each of said conduits, means arranged to receive conveyor discharge from said return conduit and to deliver the latter into said hopper, whereby upon operation of said mechanism feed will be dragged from said hopper and gravity-discharged through said openings, and whereby feed within said conveyor not received by said openings will be discharged from said feed conduit into said return conduit and returned to said hopper.

4. A flock feeding mechanism for distributing feed supplies to spaced feeding range stations, said mechanism comprising a feed hopper, a feeding conduit leading from said hopper at an elevation above the feeding range, said conduit having feed discharging openings through a wall portion thereof at intervals lengthwise of the conduit, an endless drag conveyor sliding through 6 said conduit and extending at its opposite ends therebeyond, a first sprocket rotatively mounted adjacent an end of said conduit, a second sprocket rotatively mounted adjacent the other end of said conduit, a return conduit in alignment between said sprockets, said endless conveyor extending through both of said conduits and around said sprockets to provide a drag conveyor system within each of said conduits, a bucket elevator arranged to receive conveyor discharge from said return conduit and to deliver the latter into said hopper, and an agitator within said hopper, whereby upon operation of said conveyor and said elevator mechanism feed will be dragged from said hopper and gravity-discharged through said openings, and whereby feed Within said conveyor not received by said openings will be discharged from said feed conduit into said return conduit and delivered to said elevator and returned to said hopper VINCENT C. DUGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 426,245 Craig Apr. 22, 1890 1,753,050 Hughes Apr. 1, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 32,148 France Apr. 26, 1927 629,844 Germany May 14, 1936 515,102 Great Britain Nov. 2'7, 1939 98,000 Sweden Feb. 6, 1940 

